TD does not authorize employment, including freelance work performed in the United States. A signed offer for the principal does not change that rule.
Review the spouse’s separate basis
Identify the actual activity and any independent authorization needed. Study by dependents does not itself grant work permission or extend status.
If the self-employment question is unresolved, avoid finalizing dependent travel, schooling, or housing plans around this offer until the employment structure is confirmed as qualifying. If the spouse is a Canadian citizen in a listed occupation, an independent professional route may be practical; a qualifying corporate group may create another option. Households where both adults work should understand this before the principal accepts a hospital offer, because the classification chosen for one adult effectively decides the other's working life for the duration. Dependent TD steps depend on the principal's case, and if the degree route turns out to be the necessary one, retrieval of old academic records could extend the timeline meaningfully. A child who turns 21 during the principal's assignment loses TD status on that birthday, regardless of where they are in a degree, and would need to qualify for a student classification or another category in their own right.